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Welcome to Wendy’s site on meditation tools and techniques! I have many ideas and suggestions that I hope will help you develop your meditation skills and encourage your ongoing practice. This is the key to reaping the fruits of meditation: as your meditation practice grows and becomes part of your life, you will find greater peace and happiness. This is not an idle promise. Try it out!

On this site, I provide free videos, readings, links to other useful sites, and even the opportunity to meditate with me–online– from your home! It’s true: I would like to offer a session or sessions of meditation and guidance. Read on.

What is meditation?

Stephen Batchelor in “Buddhism Without Beliefs” has a metaphor for meditation that I like: think of the process of awakening like a footpath. We struggle through the undergrowth to reach it, and when we do, we know we are heading somewhere and are able to move more freely. The footpath is maintained because others are walking on the path, just as we are helping to maintain it by walking on it. “What counts is not so much the destination but the resolve to take the next step.”

Here’s a book that I highly recommend for those who want to try a different approach from the usual “sit down and watch your breath.” Good for people having difficulties.

Unlearning Meditation: What to Do When the Instructions Get In the Way, Jason Siff

There are many forms of meditation, and I just discuss here the form I was taught . I practice and teach Vipassana–or Insight–meditation, a type of Buddhist meditation. This isn’t necessarily better than other kinds of meditation, it’s just one that works for me.

Mindfulness can refer to many different states of mind. The general meaning is just being in the present moment. Mindfulness in Vipassana meditation refers to something a little more specific: being aware of the present moment while watching the mind’s movement toward greed, hatred, and delusion. So there is some interesting stuff going on there!

For the beginning meditator: There is a lot of information out there for starting a meditation practice, so I won’t repeat it here. You might check out several books or web sites and see what works for you.

Here are some meditation instructions and detailed information on Insight Meditation:

I completed the Community Dharma Leaders program at Spirit Rock Meditation Center, a two year training program for teachers in the Buddhist Theravada tradition.

I also have a Ph.D. in environmental science, taught and did Arctic research for over 30 years, and am a professor emeritus at the University of Cincinnati.

What do people that I have worked with think? I am proud to share some testimonials:

Make meditating your new habit!

It’s time to take the bull by the horns and figure out how you can commit to having an ongoing formal practice. Therefore, I am introducing an online support opportunity: I offer you my services as not just a teacher, but as someone to meditate with. I call it THE INCENTIVIZE-R!

Online Sunday sitting group

You don’t need to create another unrealistic target for yourself. What you may find helpful is the understanding and support of a teacher and a group of people who, like you, want to take time for themselves to sit quietly. That is why I’ve set up an online group for meditating together as a group.

I make this offer in an effort to support our practice: If you contact me via this website, I will invite you to meet with us through Zoom* for a 60 minute meditation sitting . We meet weekly on Sundays from 1-2 pm.

We will meditate together during this period and we can discuss your meditation and your practice. The group sits formally for 15 minutes, then we have a presentation and discussion, and then do a final 15 minute sitting. We keep it very relaxed and you can connect via phone, tablet or laptop. You can elect to use video or turn it off. We will try to be accommodating to your needs.

*Zoom is a video conferencing tool, much like Skype, only easier and cleaner in many ways. You should contact me in advance so I can send you an invitation via email to join the Zoom session.

This offer is available to EVERYONE: those who are completely new to meditation, those more experienced meditators who occasionally like a meditation companion, and everyone in between! You can attend the online sittings when you are able to. It’s perfectly okay to miss sittings. If you need to talk to me privately about meditation in general or your practice, I’d be happy to do that.

Please fill out the following form if you want me to contact you with more information.

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Check all that apply(required) I haven't meditated before.

I'd like to try the Incentivize-R!

I have more questions before I commit!

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Help support this site!

Generosity is one of the primary teachings of the Buddha. I put a lot of effort into maintaining the site. I offer the Sunday sittings to you for free. Donations, however small, are an indication of your gratitude and are much appreciated!